Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Thoughts on the Left

I don’t agree with everything I read, but Doug Hagin certainly has put some things out there for people to think about.

Top Ten Stupid Leftist Ideals By Doug Hagin (07/11/2006)

David Letterman has made a career of making people laugh. His show has been on TV for far more than a decade now, and, one of America’s favorite parts of that show is Dave’s Top Ten. I must say, I enjoy it as much as the next person does.

In honor of David Letterman’s Top Ten, this column is my own version of a top ten. The top ten list of stupid, inane, asinine, and, loony leftist ideals. Now in making such a list, in attempting to whittle down to just ten, the most foolish of leftist ideals, I have worked tirelessly and diligently to include only those leftist ideals that not only reach the bottom of the pit of inanity, but those that required extra digging as well.

By the way, as a side note, if any Leftists find themselves offended, put out, aggrieved, or suffering from a bruising of their ever-fragile self-esteem after reading this column, let me say good! The Left is always seeking something to be hurt or upset over anything, so I consider it a very special honor to help them out in their never-ending pursuit of a pity party!

Now, on with the official Doug Hagin Top Ten List of Stupid, Inane, Asinine, and Loony Leftist Ideals.

Number ten- Environmentalism. Now concern for the environment is a good thing, as is a healthy appreciation of nature and its matchless beauty and splendor. The left, however, goes far beyond reality in their version of environmentalism. The Left does not stop at reasonable conservation measures, or reasonable regulations on pollution. Instead they would have the United States, one of the environmentally clean nations, submit to the Kyoto Protocol, which would do serious damage to our economy. The reason they would have us wreck the greatest economy in the world? Well to stop global warming of course! This despite the reality that this theory has never been proven to be true.

Number nine - It Takes a Village. Now this jewel of foolishness is the brainchild of the Left’s heroine Hillary Clinton. The simple fact is the left has always and will always think collectively. They hate individualism and acknowledging parents as the most important factor in raisin children flies in the face of the left’s fascination with collectivism. While many people may have wonderful influences in a child’s life, it takes parents, and not some leftist village to raise a child.

Number eight- Children are Incapable of Handling Stress. The left likes to feel that children must be raised and educated in an environment totally insulated from any negativity. A few examples of this include teachers ceasing their use of red ink to correct children’s tests or homework, or the erasing of certain parts of history because teaching it might hurt some child’s feelings.Children are not so fragile that having spelling mistakes corrected or history that might be painful taught to them. Protecting children from every possible offense will not serve them well. It will instead serve to leave the ill prepared for the reality that life can be unpleasant at times.

Number seven-Competition is Bad. Nothing could be more asinine than the Left’s infatuation with the notion that competition is unhealthy for people. People, by their nature, are competitive. We desire to excel, not to be held back. It is OK to want to win, and nothing will help us, no matter where life leads us, more than having a healthy competitive streak. Yes, competition does mean some people will lose. Losing can teach us to push harder though, and that can create greatness.

Number six- Health Care is a Right. Health care is some civil right everyone has, according to the left. No, actually health care is a personal responsibility. You and I are responsible for our own destinies; it is a part of liberty. Health care is part of that responsibility. The left, again, thinks collectively on this subject. Their ideal is for everyone to pay for everyone else’s health care. Of course, socialized medicine is well below the standard America has, but the left would gladly sacrifice quality for collectivist idealism.

Number five-Wealth is Bad. Again, the collectivist ideology of the left is on display here. It is, to a devoted Leftist unfair that one American has more than another does. Their solution, punish the bad successful folks with heavy taxes and give the money to a wasteful federal government to dole out to those not as successful. This is lunacy of course. Punishing success and redistributing wealth is a recipe for failure of the people and the nation as a whole.

Number four- Racism is Rampant and can only be Solved by Leftist Tolerance. Despite the constant cry, that racism is alive and thriving in America, most folks could not care less about skin color. The left, naturally, sees race relations from the prism of pessimism. Every time any minority loses a job, does not get a promotion, gets a speeding ticket, or stubs a toe, the left is ready to blame racism. The fact is it is the Leftists who are hung up on skin color. Race is not important, to most of us. Well, except for the left of course.

Number three- Abortion. The left, despite all the medical evidence stacked against them, still clings to abortion as some sacrament. In their pursuit to erase personal responsibility, they willingly support the killing of the most innocent of human life, the unborn. Their vile defense of this atrocity only points out how little respect or admiration they hold for human life. To them life is only precious according to the “quality” of it. Of course, they are all too happy to define what “quality” is.

Number two-Guns are Bad. The left hates guns. They hate those who own them. They hate those who defend themselves with guns. Why? Well guns allow individuals to defend themselves, property and rights. The left, again collectivists to the core, want the defense of rights to be handled by government. An individual who owns a gun steps outside the collectivist utopia the left desires so deeply. Gun owners who use their gun to defend themselves are even worse to the left. By their actions, they have illustrated that rights are individual, and can be protected by individuals. That is a direct threat to leftist collectivism.

Number one-Appeasing Evil Ensures Peace. Of all the foolish notion the left subscribes to, this ideal is surely the most inane. The left has, over the course of history, tried to appease Nazis, Stalinists, dictators, and terrorists. They have preached peaceful solutions, refused to accept that violence not only can be the solution but sometimes is the only solution, all the while evil never was appeased. Hundreds of millions have suffered horrible fates, hundreds of millions have died, and the left STILL thinks we can understand evildoers and change them without violence.Evil exists and must be crushed, defeated and eradicated. There is no understanding it, or reasoning with it, or appeasing it. We will kill it, or it will kill us, it is that simple. In fact, the only thing simpler than this truth is Leftist thinking.

Doug Hagin

Doug was born and raised in Florida now residing in Dallas. He has always loved writing and one day dream of having a nationally syndicated column and radio show. He loves the outdoors, hiking in the Rockies, and football, hockey, and reading.

After reading this I thought about the Top 10 Leftist Things About the Palouse List.

10. Protecting People From Themselves: This has shown up recently in Pullman under the guise of fireworks limitations.

9. Wal-Mart vs Target or Costco: What is the difference? They are all large companies who employ people. In fact Target and Wal-Mart sell many of the same things, yet some people think Target is better. Hmmmm…it must be because they employ only union workers. One argument about a Wal-Mart Superstore in Pullman is that it will put Safeway and Dissmores out of business. Safeway is a union shop and so must be guarded against the evil Wal-Mart. I don’t get this line of reasoning. Safeway is not a hometown grocery store. They are in practically every state under a variety of names. I’m pretty sure they aren’t worried about going out of business. I doubt Dissmores is too worried either. They are close to campus and sell quite a bit of beer. I would say they are very safe.

8. It Ain’t Cool To Be Patriotic: The Moscow City Council’s decision to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance is absolutely horrendous. They are worried about offending some people. Who exactly are they worried about offending? For some reason people on the Left seem to think it is wrong to be proud of your country. Since it might offend someone to say the Pledge of Allegiance or see the American Flag flying we shouldn’t do it. I’m sure our Founding Fathers and men and women who have given much to protect our freedoms are saddened by such antics.

7. Going To College To Learn All The Things I Need To Know: Well, what your parents didn’t tell you is that if you come to a school on the Palouse you might have to learn about being an activist against Wal-Mart, even though you are not a permanent resident and never intend to be one. The reason for this is, because you need to protect the community you don’t live in or pay taxes in from itself. This is what you will read in some university’s paper, whose editorials are highly influenced by a small group of elitists who are politically correct and are out to save the Palouse.

6. Everyone Should Have A Say In Everything: This is probably one of the silliest things anyone from the Left says. Why should I get a say in whether or not you cut down a tree in your yard? Why should I get to tell some businesses how much they pay their employees? The simple answer to both questions…I shouldn’t. Not everything in this world is fair and equal. That is why there will always be someone prettier than you are, or smarter than you are, or richer than you are, or even happier than you are. I don’t have anymore right to say you can’t cut down your tree than I do to say some businesses have to pay their employees a “living wage.” What exactly is a “living wage?” Personally, I think someone should pay me at least $100,000 so I can live more comfortably. A “living wage” law is arbitrary and has no business being enacted. I’m interested to see how this experiment will play out.

5. Not In My Backyard: This might seem a little misleading, but I think you’ll catch my drift. Since Moscow, Idaho has most of the retail space in the area and there is huge retail leakage from Pullman, Washington and Whitman County, is it okay for them to say Whitman County can’t allow Hawkins Companies to build retail space in Washington? Evidently they don’t want me to spend my money in my own backyard.

4. Competition is a Bad Thing II: If a Wal-Mart is built in Pullman then the downtown businesses will suffer. Not likely. Since I can’t buy underwear in downtown Pullman or even a box of paperclips there shouldn’t be any problem. In all likelihood business will improve. More people will be passing through downtown Pullman. Plus once one area is developed then more businesses will move in. Personally, I would like to see a Hallmark store come back to Pullman as well as an Outback Steakhouse. I’m thinking a Wal-Mart store just might do the trick.

3. Competition is a Bad Thing I: If a Wal-Mart is built in Pullman then the Wal-Mart in Moscow might suffer. Currently, Pullman’s potential tax dollars are being spent in Moscow. Why should I be worried if Moscow and the state of Idaho get less of my dollars? It isn’t likely either one will pack up and move away. In reality it isn’t about competition. It is a worry to Moscow that they will see less spending in their city.

2. Mutual Aid Agreement: The quibbling Moscow is doing over this is petty at best and dangerous to the community at worst. Are they expecting more fires in the area? Do they think Moscow will have to answer more fire calls in Whitman County? It is a complex situation – on the one hand Moscow wants to be able to call on Whitman County emergency services if there is a fire at, oh let’s say the Palouse Mall, yet they are concerned they may be called on to help provide emergency services if the Hawkins Companies builds near the border. Nothing like biting off your nose to spite your face. I guess we’ll see where this ends up.

1. PARD: Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development. A better title would be Privileged Aristocracy for the Ruin and Destruction of Pullman. PARD believes they are the “royal we.” It is amazing to me how one small group of people think they speak for everyone in Pullman. AND then are upset if you don’t agree with them. It must be very difficult to refute truths when you are trying to implement policies that border on non-truths.